1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pin connector, more particularly to a pin connector mountable on a circuit board for connecting a conductor pin to the circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional pin connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mountable on a first electronic element (i.e., a printed circuit board 100) for detachably and electrically connecting a conductor pin 200 of a second electronic element (not shown) to the printed circuit board 100. In FIG. 1, the conductor pin 200 is not completely inserted into the pin connector 1. The pin connector 1 includes an outer shell 11 and a clamping device 12 inserted fittingly into the outer shell 11.
The outer shell 11 is substantially formed in a tubular shape and is adapted to be inserted into a hole of the printed circuit board 100. Moreover, the outer shell 11 includes a tubular wall 112, an outer flange 111 extending outwardly from an outer surface of the tubular wall 112 and adapted to abut against a top face of the printed circuit board 100, and a barb 113 protruding outwardly from the outer surface of the tubular wall 112 below the outer flange 111 and adapted to abut against a bottom face of the printed circuit board 100.
The clamping device 12 includes an annular wall 121 inserted fittingly into the tubular wall 112 of the outer shell 11, and a plurality of resilient clamp arms 122 connected to and tapering downwardly from a lower end of the annular wall 121. When the conductor pin 200 is inserted into the pin connector 1, the resilient clamp arms 122 clamp the conductor pin 200 so that the second electronic element is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 100 through the pin connector 1 and that a subsequent operation can be conducted, for example, measuring electrical signals.
Although the connector pin 200 can be detachably inserted into and electrically connected with the pin connector 1, the outer shell 11 and the clamping device 12 of the pin connector 1 are only engaged with each other by inserting fittingly the annular wall 121 of the clamping device 12 into the tubular wall 112 of the outer shell 11. Accordingly, after repeated insertion and detachment of the connector pin 200, the clamping device 12 eventually tends to loosen and slip off from the outer shell 11, and electrical connection of the second electronic element to the printed circuit board 100 will be adversely affected.
Another pin connector 2 as shown in FIG. 2 was developed by modifying the structure of the above pin connector 1 in combination with bending and pressing procedures. The pin connector 2 includes an outer shell 21 and a clamping device 22 inserted fittingly into the outer shell 21.
The outer shell 21 includes a tubular wall 212, a folded end portion 211, and a barb 213, and differs from the outer shell 11 of the pin connector 1 in that the outer flange 111 of the outer shell 11 is replaced by the folded end portion 211. The folded end portion 211 is adapted to be disposed above the top face of the printed circuit board 100, and has an inclined part 214 extending outwardly from an upper open end of the tubular wall 212, and a folded part 215 extending from the inclined part 214 and folded toward an interior of the tubular wall 212.
The clamping device 22 includes an annular wall 221, an inclined flange 222, and a plurality of resilient clamp arms 223, and differs from the clamping device 12 of the pin connector 1 in that the clamping device 22 further includes the inclined flange 222. The inclined flange 222 extends from an upper end of the annular wall 221, along the inclined part 214, and into a groove formed by the folded part 215.
Although the clamping device 22 can be prevented from sliding outwardly by receiving a part of the inclined flange 222 into the groove of the folded part 215, the clamping device 22 is inevitably likely to slide inwardly with the insertion of the connector pin 200. Hence, although the pin connector 2 is produced by a relatively complex process at a relatively high cost, the problem of poor electrical connection of the second electronic element to the printed circuit board 100 caused by sliding of the clamping device 22 with respect to the outer shell 21 still remains unsolved.